London’s Shaw Theatre
1969 saw the start of 2 very different tv comedy series – Monty Python and Up Pompeii. The latter was created as a vehicle for the great comedian Frankie Howerd who starred as Lurcio the down-trodden head slave of a family whose sexual adventures never quite came out right.
A stage version by Miles Tredinnick , based on the Rothwell/Colin tv scripts never saw the light of day in Frankie’s lifetime . Now Barnaby Eaton-Jones has adapted it with new material by Daniel McGahey and Iain McLoughlin and Spiteful Puppet the audio book company are releasing it as a 2-cd audio production.
I mention all those names because therein lies a slight problem with this rendition which was recorded in front of of a live audience this month at London’s Shaw Theatre.
But what is outstanding is the 5-star performance as Howerd/Lurcio by the multi-talented David Benson, who has immortalised both Howerd and comedy star Kenneth Williams in one-man shows.
He’s supported by a very strong cast of well-known performers , including Tim Brooke-Taylor as an evil slave trader, ex-Dr Who companion Frazer Hines as the lecherous head of the household and the highly talented Jack Lane – who has his own one-man show about comedian Norman Wisdom still playing round the country – as the stupid virgin son of the family.
The audio recording is available from spitefulpuppet.com/productions from 29 November